Kevin, Beth, & Girls

2009-07-08T13:59:00.001-07:00

This message was sent using the Picture and Video Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!

To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.

Note: To play video messages sent to email, QuickTime® 6.5 or higher is required.

2009-07-02T07:45:00.001-07:00

This message was sent using the Picture and Video Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!

To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.

Note: To play video messages sent to email, QuickTime® 6.5 or higher is required.

Close ups

2009-06-17T22:51:00.001-07:00

Since we got our new camera in March, I have been much better about taking decent pics (because there were a couple of months that passed with only pics taken with our cell phones, ugh). As you can see, I was playing with the settings on the new camera and seeing what it could do close up. Here are the results.

I think if she could speak, she would be saying "hey lady, can you get the camera out of my face while I watch my show?" lol

See the blue eyes? They didn't come from Kevin (his eyes are green) or me (even though my eyes are blue, they aren't this color blue). If she didn't look SO much like her dad, I'd seriously consider calling the hospital to find out whose kid I have! :)

Check out how chubby that little cheek is! Don't you just want to kiss it?

This is one of my favorite pics...I just wish it was her whole face, but I love her expression. She is a sweet, happy girl almost all the time. I cannot remember what in the world I did with my time before she got here. :)

Guess what Katie loves???

2009-06-09T00:53:00.001-07:00

Jello Pudding Pops.

I know it's not the best thing in the world for her, but as of her last doctor's visit, she is only in the 25th percentile for weight and height. I figure a little pudding isn't going to ruin her diet. :)

She also loves reading...

Reading the Ikea ad. The closest one to us is about thirty minutes away, so we try to make sure we have a good reason to go.

Reading a book while I got her lunch ready. My sister was quick to point out the title of the book, and suggested that I had something to do with it - Of course not! Can I help it if Katie loves books about other creatures of nature loving their mommy's, the way she loves me???

AND, she loves coming to work with me...

Look what I found under my desk at work one day. At least she came with a maraca.

Also at work with me. Clearly she had an important cell phone call to make and couldn't be bothered with pictures.

2009-05-03T23:16:00.000-07:00

Since I cannot seem to post pictures regularly enough to be up-to-date, I thought I'd play catch-up and post one from each month. This is also to show that Katie Holmes is quite possibly the smiley-est kid in town.

This pic is from November...chillin in her exersaucer.

This is from December - my mom doesn't like that we're dressing her in Ohio State stuff that looks so boyish, but it is TOUGH finding cute pink OSU attire! Plus, I think Katie looks cute in overalls. :)

This was Katie in January while visiting her Aunt Kendra and cousin Haden. She LOVES Haden, even though we don't see them as often as we should.

This is Katie playing on the living room floor while we were re-doing the living room (it turns out getting a new tv meant we also got a new entertainment center, got rid of a window in the room, and got new paint...that turned into one expensive tv. lol BUT, we gained some space, which is totally worth the money). In this pic I was pretending to step on Katie, which she though was hilarious, but what I didn't tell her was how much I weigh (and I'm not posting it here either). :)

This is from March...and is one of the few pics that I will post of Katie NOT smiling. Baby yawning pics make ME smile, so that's why I'm posting it.

2009-03-24T22:25:00.000-07:00

So I KNOW I shouldn't even have a blog, since I can't manage to update it enough - but I'm going to TRY to fast forward through some old Katie pics to get to the more recent stuff (we just got a new camera, so I've been MUCH better about snapping pics more frequently).

This is just Katie, chillin on the couch. She is this happy ALMOST all of the time. She's such a good girl (I can only hope the next girl is as sweet and happy as Katie is - but I guess we'll keep the next girl even if she's not). :)

Katie dressed up as an ice cream cone for Halloween. I had to work that evening, so she came to visit me in her costume. She already knows she's going as a cupcake Halloween 2009. Yes, she will hate me when she's older. :)

This girl is NEVER going to crawl! This is the face she used to make if we put her on her tummy. We now refer to her as the human rolling pin, because she will literally roll all over the room if she sees something she wants.

Nothing special about this pic - other than little Smiles McGee. I was teasing her with her yellow duck.

She got the duck from me, and that was the end of the smiles. About 2 minutes of intense chewing, and the yellow duck was soaked.

Katie Katie the Pumpkin Lady

2009-02-17T21:56:00.001-08:00

Since this past October was Katie's first fall season, I thought it was appropriate for us to take her to the country to get a pumpkin. She couldn't decide which one was more comfortable though. Katie loves her Daddy. Even the pumpkin in her lap wasn't enough to distract her from looking at him.

Grandma Starr, Katie, and Aunt Amy. Katie loves hanging out with the girls.

Grandpa Roger is CONSTANTLY sneaking candy to Katie, although even I was surprised to see that he was willing to give up his favorite candy bar to her!

"Hmm, I think I like this...and Grandpa Roger is my favorite!"

Random...

2009-02-17T21:38:00.000-08:00

So yes, it has again been a l-o-n-g time since my last post. Here are some random Katie pics.

The next four pics are some of my favorites...check out the progression of Katie getting her first taste of peas.

"Hey awesome! I like this business of eating off of a spoon instead of out of a bottle."

"Wait, what did you say that was? Peas???"

"Um, I don't think I like peas...let me try ONE more bite."

"Oh, I'm positive. I definitely don't like peas."

(although, she DOES like peas now...actually, I have yet to find something she DOESN'T like).

Sitting on the loveseat upstairs, playing video games with Daddy.

update!

2009-01-04T21:18:00.001-08:00

Okay, okay, okay...this post is for those that have been hounding me to update. My apologies for the time without new pics. In case you didn't already know, Kevin & I are expecting another little one sometime early July, so that has made me especially tired lately (at least, that is the excuse I'm using as to why I haven't updated). :)

Katie's First Taste of Solids...

We thought she wouldn't like the rice cereal we were giving her. Almost every picture I've seen of friends' babies eating their first taste of cereal, they have this stunned face (that is ALWAYS hilarious), so we were hoping for the same thing from Miss Holmes. See what faces she DID make:

"What is this foreign object you're putting in my mouth???"

"Hmm...what's in and ON my mouth?"

"Oh, this stuff is delicious!"
Ok, this picture isn't really an accurate picture of what happened. She was pleasant and loved her cereal, until she decided she was done playing the game and wanted to eat. :)

Katie's second taste of solids - purple cotton candy.

Katie's first cotton candy stained tongue!

Hey Katie, wanna get a picture with me?

2008-11-17T22:06:00.000-08:00

So, I fully understand that I looked terrible. I can own that. It was late. I had worked all day. Odds are I had a baseball hat on until I came home from work. My makeup needed some work (let's be honest - a LOT of me needed some work, lol). But you'd think my one and only kid could smile with me for ONE little picture (ok, so it's never just one picture. It's as many as I can shoot before the camera battery dies, but still). There was NO getting Katie to smile...and I could have even lived with a serious face. But no. The little ham had to make a face. I am in serious trouble when this little jokester gets older. :)

Hey wait...that reminds me of a picture I took a few years ago with another person living at my house... Katie is definitely her father's daughter!

This picture is for Aunt Amy - who so lovingly purchased the pj set that Miss Holmes is modeling. I think she looks like a little British girl with that cap on. Katie loved the pj's, Aunt Amy!

The next three pictures are some of my favorite "Katie pics" of all time (well, so far anyway). Apparently her activity gym was SO much fun, it knocked her out cold on the mat. I only wish I looked this peaceful when I slept.

"I give up! I can't play any longer! ...must...have...sleep...!"

"zzzzzzzzzzzzzz"

Still growin!

2008-11-14T22:52:00.000-08:00

Update: November 7, 2008, Miss Holmes had a visit to the pediatrician. She now officially weighs 15 lbs., 6 ozs., and is 25 inches long. The poor kid got FOUR shots AND to add to her pain, a tooth (her second) broke through that day. She was MISERABLE all weekend long (so were we, for her sake).

Campaign commercials were SO very prominent this year, that Katie couldn't help but get into the election process. This is her watching Guiliani at the Republican National Convention (yes, we know it was past her bedtime, but she begged to stay up and watch).

The next night she watched John McCain accept the nomination for the Republican party. Too bad he didn't realize then that the media had no intention of him winning the election. When Sarah Palin was there with her family, Katie asked if she could meet Trig one day. We'll see.

It seems hard to believe that Katie is 6 months old already. I can't believe how quickly time has passed and how much she has grown already! Although, her feet apparently didn't get the message about growing. She is STILL wearing these newborn shoes that Aunt Amy bought her.

The bottom of the left shoe says "pitter" and the bottom of the right says "patter" which is kinda crazy considering Katie's legs are still like jello and her feet don't "pitter patter" anywhere.

Katie in one of her most favorite outfits (thanks to my cousin Phillip & his wife Lori).

Zzzzzz...

2008-11-02T21:35:00.000-08:00

Apparently during the month of August, all Katie did was sleep!

This picture especially makes me laugh. She looks like one of those police outlines you see on tv. lol

She's sleeping, but cannot give up the keys!
She is just like her dad - able to sleep anytime, anywhere. :)

"Smoochable" or "Kissable"

2008-10-26T21:54:00.001-07:00

Katie and her Aunt Amy have a thing they do called "A thousand kisses for Katie." While I have never actually counted, I'm positive Amy gives Katie no less than a thousand kisses. :) But, it leads me to this question:

Is Katie more "Smoochable" ...

...or is she more "Kissable" ???

You can answer in the survey to the left of the page!

And for those of you who are wondering: No, I did not get "hello, my name is" stickers and put them on her tummy. I bought those outfits like that. I wouldn't have mentioned it, but I have had a lot of people ask. lol

Sister Katie Lauren

2008-10-26T21:31:00.000-07:00

So after Katie gets a bath, I put her on her changing pad to get lotioned up (which she HATES, btw). This particular time struck me as funny because I thought she looked like a tiny nun in a Habit.

*I don't intend to offend anyone with this post - my sincere apologies if it offends you.*

When the picture is not enough...a video of the same event. :)

Bunnies

2008-10-14T13:33:00.000-07:00

Katie has some bunny slippers that she absolutely LOVES. Ok, well she probably doesn't care - but we like them, mostly because they stay on her feet better than socks do. Our only problem? The dogs think the bunnies belong to them.

This pic makes me laugh - I think it looks like she's holding her tummy (maybe she just got finished eating a big meal, lol)

"If I had teeth, I'd be able to make a bunny face too!"
Kevin & I had a debate over the onesie. He insists it's a mouse, and I say it's a bunny.

Any thoughts?

Posting after the storm...

2008-09-30T20:20:00.001-07:00

Last week our power was out. ALL week. And not because I forgot to pay the bill (at least I think I paid it!). :) The remnants of Hurricane Ike hit Ohio causing wind gusts up to almost 80 mph! All told, almost a million homes in Ohio and Northern Kentucky were without power for some period of time during the week. Ours was out from Sunday, September 14 at 2 pm until the next Sunday, September 21 at 4:30 pm. THANKFULLY the wind brought with it cooler weather, so it was not unbearable living conditions, but we did lose most of the food in our fridge and freezer (although I did learn that you can cook a lot more on the grill than just hamburgers and hot dogs - my mom made french fries and baked beans and scrambled eggs. She did NOT figure out a good way to make coffee though, so it was a rough week for her, lol). We were also very thankful that we did not suffer any major damage to our house or property from the storm.

Praise the Lord we only had to replace one section of privacy fence from our neighbor's tree falling on it.

All afternoon while the wind was blowing, we'd hear different trees and limbs cracking. At one point we kept hearing these cracking noices getting louder and louder, until I realized it was the HUGE tall tree across the street from us. Eventually it fell, but didn't hit any of the houses around it.

Same tree, different view. We thought for sure our neighbor's house was hit when the section of tree fell, but it didn't. The city street department came and removed MOST of the tree (what was in the road), but Kevin and some guys down the road ended up clearing it from the power lines on Sunday, September 21 - because by then, poor Kevin was so tired of having no power, he wasn't about to let trees delay the power company from getting it turned back on! :)

Did you know that Katie is STILL this smiley, even when the power is out???
You just have to use a flashlight to see the smile. :)
The blanket she's laying on was made by my awesome Aunt Bobbie. Aunt Bobbie had never seen the colors of Katie's room, yet matched them perfectly. Aunt Bobbie, Katie said to tell you she loves this blanket and appreciates you making it for her (can you believe she already knows the word "appreciate" ??? She's a smart kid!). :)

The quilt she's laying on in this pic was made by my Aunt Charlotte (who is also awesome to take the time to make such a nice quilt). I wish I had a picture of the other side of it, because it has outlines of my mom's hands, my grandmother's hands, my sister's hands, and my hands all around the edge of the quilt. Aunt Charlotte surprised me with this at my baby shower, and told me that the little space left around the edge is for Katie's hands. It's really a sweet idea for a quilt.

Fashionista

2008-09-08T20:44:00.000-07:00

I know I am VERY behind. I think I fell off the face of the internet for a month!

As for Miss Holmes, after celebrating 4 months of life on August 29th, we visited her doctor on September 5th. She weighs 13 lbs., 7 ozs. and is 23 7/8" long. She is in the 50th percentile for her weight, and between the 25th and 50th percentile for height (but did anyone really expect her to be very tall???) Her feeties are beyond tiny - her newborn-size shoes are just now fitting without falling off.

Katie at Grandma Starr's house...she's wishing she could have a cupcake to eat, instead of one to wear.

What happens when Daddy helps Katie get dressed. I put the onesie on her, and the socks. Daddy added the slippers. She's on the cutting edge of fashion.
What happens when you have dogs: finally get the perfect happy smile, and the dog gets in the way.
She's obviously upset about another Cincinnati Reds loss.
Fashion show. Aunt Amy came over, and Katie wanted to show off all her hats. Amy & I took the first pic to prove to Katie that yes, bald IS beautiful!

Reminder

2008-08-18T22:46:00.000-07:00

In case you forgot, this picture reminds you why we call her Ziggy (but we think she's a very cute Ziggy, so it's ok).

"I think it's HILARIOUS that they call me Ziggy!"
Family pics...too bad the photographer couldn't get Zigs to look the same direction as us!
Kevin and Katie...she looks serious because she was thinking it was about time to eat.
This time she's not thinking about food, she's just thinking "don't these two get enough of kissing me???"

Nothing special...

2008-08-13T22:07:00.000-07:00

I would like to add some pictures that DO NOT include ones of Ziggy on her changing pad, but she's just so happy there! A friend of mine just saw Katie for the first time last week and said "oh she's so smiley!" Most of the time, she really is. She's SUCH a good girl (although, I'm wondering while I'm writing this if I'm jinxing myself! lol).

Check out these cheeks! When Katie was born, the nurses were taking her to be weighed, and the first thing my doctor said was "look at those cheeks!" The cheeks haven't changed. This is Ziggy watching the news with me.
Ziggy later that night. Her new official bedtime is 10 pm. She was up late partying and obviously couldn't handle it.

Growing like a weed!

2008-08-04T20:06:00.000-07:00

Update: August 4, 2008 - Katie officially weighs 12 lbs., 8 ozs. The pediatrician said she's gaining approx. 3/4 oz. every day. It seems impossible our 8 lb. newborn is already a 3 month old baby! Katie is a sweet girl, quite the social butterfly, and very smart already (we assume she can tell time, because she gets fussy if she's not in bed by 10 pm). :) We love our little muffin!

This picture is from her 2-month doctor visit. She's smiling in this pic because she didn't know she was about to go get 4 shots (poor little thing!).

Katie's first 4th of July! We ate dinner and spent the afternoon with Grandma Starr, Grandpa Roger, and Aunt Amy (though somehow she got out of having a pic!), then went to see fireworks (Katie fell asleep RIGHT before the fireworks started, and didn't wake up until the finale - then she just STARED...I don't even think she blinked!). :)

Katie is smiling in this pic because someone told her she looks a lot like Grandma Starr.

Katie with Grandpa Roger - obviously he's telling her a very interesting story.Yet another picture of Katie on the changing pad.
So the color isn't great in this pic, but I posted it because I think it's a great smile. Katie had just gotten finished telling me how much she liked the fireworks on her first 4th of July.

Pics that make me laugh

2008-07-26T11:06:00.000-07:00

Katie is such an independent girl; when she's awake, she likes to sit up so she can look around. I think she looks so funny sitting in the corner of the couch.

"Oh man could I use a nap! It's rough being 2 months old!"
Kevin called me upstairs the other night and this is what I saw...
Let the video games begin!

Cousins

2008-07-23T20:03:00.001-07:00

Aunt Kendra took her son Haden and Katie to get pictures together (I was working so I couldn't be there). Turns out neither Haden nor Katie wanted to smile that day. lol

Haden & Katie ALMOST share a birthday - he was three on April 21st.
If there's one thing Katie can do, it's sleep! (even in a basket of flowers, lol).

Soooo Tired!

2008-07-17T21:29:00.000-07:00

Katie was just passed out the other evening. I thought she just looked so funny with her arms just thrown out there. It's like she'd give Kevin a bear hug if only her arms would stretch that far!

This pic ALMOST looks like she's awake, but she was completely out.
Later that night, she decided she wanted to watch some tv. She is such an independent girl that she likes to be held up so she can look around the room (but I'm also told that sitting straight up helps her relux keep from bothering her).
Looks like EVERYONE in the house is excited about football season! I think I just heard her say "Go Buckeyes!" :)
P.S. Some of these pics are a little deceiving - they kind of make her hair look red, but it's really not red at all. It's just a light version of Kevin's color.

Cincinnati Zoo

2008-07-14T23:17:00.000-07:00

As a fun day before I went back to work, Kevin & I decided to take Katie to the Cincinnati Zoo. At first, it was going to be just us, but we decided to invite my mom, and then invited my Aunt April too. Amy happened to call me while we were on our way to the zoo to say she got off work early that day, so she joined us. It was nice to spend the day with family. We had PERFECT weather, and Katie had a wonderful first visit. I'm sure she'll remember it always (but in case she doesn't, we bought her a little stuffed giraffe to commemorate the day). :)

Some of the animals we saw. The giraffes were the coolest because they were all stretching and straining to get the leaves off the tip-top of the trees. Although the lion looks dead, I'm pretty sure he was just napping...at least I think. The other animals...

My mom & Aunt April Me, Kevin, & Katie
Katie & Aunt Amy
(Katie just looks upset because she didn't get the funnel cake she was asking for)
The best alligator wranglers in Ohio.
Give us a call for all your gator removal needs!

Katie "Talking"

2008-07-10T19:13:00.000-07:00

This is a video of Katie on her changing pad (as always) "talking" to herself and whatever is on or near the ceiling that she is so taken with.
(Sorry the quality is so bad; I took this with my digital camera, not the video camera).

Mother's Day and Father's Day

2008-07-08T22:22:00.000-07:00

This year, Kevin and I had the pleasure of celebrating our first Father's Day and Mother's Day. We are so thankful that the Lord has given us such a sweet baby girl. It seems impossible that after only two months, we can't imagine life without her.

For Father's Day, I had a shirt made for Kevin that says "I love Katie Holmes" and I had a onesie made for Katie that says "I'm Katie Holmes *No autographs please."

"I hope you have a happy Father's Day Daddy, but please don't ask me for my autograph!"
Notice that as usual, Katie is smiling because she's at her favorite place in the world - her changing pad. Kevin tells her that if he could build her changing areas all over the house, he would. Can you imagine what the living room would look like! lol

Katie had the pleasure of attending her first Mother/Daughter Banquet when she was just eleven days old. I won a prize for having the youngest baby there.

Pictured left to right (back row): my Aunt Barb, my cousin Ashley, Me & Katie, Amy, Starrbug (front row): Barb's mother (Gloria) and my Grandma Thelma.

Four generations.
The older I get, the more I realize how blessed I have been to have grown up with both sets of grandparents living. They had more influence in my life than they probably realize. I am thankful that Katie has all her grandparents to grow up with and learn from (and that they can babysit occasionally). :)

announcements

2008-07-04T21:57:00.000-07:00

When Kevin & I got married we, like many people, sent an announcement to the White House in addition to sending announcements to family & friends. We also sent one to Ohio State Buckeye's football coach Jim Tressel. We have never had the opportunity to meet Coach Tressel, but everything I have read or heard about him is that he is a dedicated Christian, who cares more for the souls of the players than just what happens on the field. Because Coach Tressel sent us two signed pictures after our wedding, Kevin sent him a picture annoucing Katie's arrival. This is what we got back...

Inside of the card

Outside of the card (the silver part is sparkly, like the OSU helmets)
Coach Jim Tressel
And here is Katie's "welcome" from the White House

(thank goodness we got this back before the next election!)
Just a pic of our little cupcake. :)

Something I noticed

2008-07-01T22:05:00.001-07:00

I was looking at my pics, trying to decide which to post and came across the one of Katie on the right. I think it's a pretty close profile match to the ultrasound pic of Katie 20 weeks into development. I guess I just always thought that babies grew and changed so much, so quickly in the womb that they wouldn't look the same 6 weeks into life. Makes you wonder how people can go through with abortions, and if they would if they realized this.

I also think it's good proof that Katie WAS smiling in the ultrasound picture, not yawning like Kevin said (he insisted she was yawning, "like her mom" - yes, he's quite the jokester). lol

Ziggy

2008-07-01T00:02:00.000-07:00

Kevin came to me laughing one day and said, "look at her. She looks like Ziggy." I wanted to argue, but as you can see...she does. lol My mom hates that we call her that now, but I think it's cute on her.

I'd like to tell you all that Ziggy is smiling at me in this picture, but no. She's actually looking in the mirror at herself. She's laying on her changing pad adoring the girl in the mirror. :)
So sad! Miss Holmes has really developed a perfect little pout (although this isn't the best picture of it). Aunt Kendra says she will use it to always get her way - and she's probably right. The pout is too cute for me to stand. lol
Catching a few z's

What happens when I'm gone...

2008-06-28T14:43:00.000-07:00

I left home the other morning, and this is what I saw when I got back:

Guess I'll have to move to the couch since there's no room left in this bed!
I had to see my OB for my 6 weeks post-delivery visit. Since Kevin & I didn't have our camera in the delivery room, I wanted a pic of Katie with her. If you're looking for good OB/GYN, I highly recommend Dr. Andarsio. She's a fantastic doctor AND an Ohio State fan!

Roses

2008-06-27T00:05:00.000-07:00

Just a post to prove that I CAN keep plants alive! (it's the potted ones I get as gifts that I manage to kill, lol), although it's probably not fair for me to take any of the credit because my Grandma Hubbs spent many years culitvating the soil here and growing beautiful plants. I'm sure she had a LOT to do with the fact that it's so easy to grow things in this yard (for those of you who don't know, we bought the house from my grandparents when we got married).

These are blooms from some of the different roses planted in my yard (and this pic doesn't even show all of the roses that I have - I think there are still two others not pictured here). A couple of the roses here were planted by my Grandma Hubbs, and the rest we planted. The kind of pinkish/coral-colored rose at the top middle of the page is a Dolly Parton rose that I got for Mother's Day. I have always wanted a Dolly Parton rose because I think my grandma would have liked it (and I do too). :)

Lounging

2008-06-26T23:16:00.000-07:00

If the changing pad is Katie's FAVORITE place in the world, then her vibrating, bouncy seat is her second favorite place. And we take it almost everywhere with us. :) Don't you wish you could just kick back and relax like THIS sometimes???
Pics from Katie's one month birthday and her first studio portraits. She wasn't waking up for ANYTHING (although, I didn't try TOO hard to wake her, because I figured sleeping baby pics were better than screaming baby pics, lol). Check out her little toesies :) Still snoozing...
Oh wait - as soon as we got home, she decided to wake up. Aunt Amy got her this dress, and Katie loved it. :)

The many faces of Katie

2008-06-21T23:24:00.001-07:00

The older she gets, the more expressive she gets (must be the Hubbs in her!). It's terrible for me to say, but I even think her sad faces are cute. lol

Splish Splash! I was takin a bath...

2008-06-12T06:29:00.000-07:00

So I know that there is already a posting of Katie getting a bath - I just wanted to post this so everyone could see that she no longer screams while in the water. She just gets this wide-eyed, shocked look on her face. She wasn't in her baby tub because, well, she had a diaper blowout and this was an emergency bath. There would be a picture of the blowout too, but Kevin said "I never want to see that again." lol My boss says that Katie's diaper blowouts are her way of showing us she has a sense of humor. If that is the case, the kid is going to be a comedian one day. I personally don't find Katie's "jokes" to be very funny.

Katie drying off in the towel that my Uncle Lamon & Aunt Betty got us. The hooded part is a crown and says "princess" across it. I just think this picture is funny because of one thing - check out Katie's super long pinky toe! She always has it stretched out like that too. I can't figure out where she got such a long pinky toe - and believe me, I have been asking the family. Be aware that if you stop by my house, you may have to remove your shoes to prove you don't also have a super long pinky toe!

P.S. Katie Lauren Holmes is named after one of my best friends and college roommate named Lauren, who coincidentally HATES the words "pinky toe." I think it's fitting that this posting has allowed me to say "pinky toe" so many times here. :)

Chillin

2008-06-09T22:09:00.001-07:00

Update: Katie went to the doctor June 6, and we found out that she now weighs 9 lbs., 14 ozs., and is 21 inches long. The pediatrician said she is "a perfect baby" but of course, we already knew that. :)

This pic makes me laugh - look how scrawny her little legs are!

She loves checking out the ceiling fan.

Chillin on her pillow.
This picture just proves that she is like her dad, and like Grandpa Roger - able to sleep anywhere, at any time.
Katie's first bottle (to my cousin Patty - don't freak out. It's NOT formula in there). :)

I didn't think she'd be interested in it, but she did pretty good.

Katie's Cupcakes

2008-06-08T01:42:00.000-07:00

In case you haven't noticed, everything (well, almost everything) of Katie's has something to do with cupcakes, ice cream, or some kind of sweets. She has onesies, pj's, blankets, hats, socks, and all kinds of stuff in this theme, as well as all of her bedroom decor (although if you notice, in this picture her pj's have apples on them - but that's just because my mom gave her these. I guess SOME people in the family are trying to make Katie somewhat healthy! lol).

P.S. Katie's covered with a hand towel because she spit up a TON earlier in the evening, and it got EVERYWHERE. I was just trying to be prepared for it if it happened again.

Aunt Kendra made Katie this super cute nightlight for her room out of a birdhouse that she painted and decorated. Kendra is so good at what she does and she's always coming up with something new. I am always amazed at the things she can do with a little paint! Nana & Aunt Kendra
Kendra's husband Kevin & Haden with Katie. Katie was fussy that evening, and it was like Uncle Kevin had the magic touch - I don't know what he did, but whatever it was, she stopped crying and went to sleep.

GQ moment and other pics

2008-06-04T23:37:00.000-07:00

This picture is just for my friend Angie. It's a little tough to see from this angle, but Katie is doing her first "GQ" pose. Thought you'd enjoy this. :)

My mom's mom, dad, & sister came to visit Katie. She wanted to sleep while they were there...
...and they wanted her to wake up (which is why she's red & crying in this pic).
She finally settled down. My mom's sister April seems to have a calming effect on Katie.
"Put 'em up! Put 'em up! Which one of you first?"

That's our Katie...she floats like a butterfly, stings like a bee. :)

Katie's first manicure and pictures of her room

2008-06-04T23:09:00.000-07:00

This is me TRYING to cut Katie's nails without cutting her! She didn't care what I did, because she was too busy enjoying her own reflection in the mirror (Please note: She was covered up on the changing pad because I had just given her a bird bath, and yes, I know I look terrible).

Buckeye & Scarlett "guarding" Katie.
Katie's crib (think we can get any more pink stuff in there???) :)
The wall over Katie's crib
Katie's bookcase & shelf (the giant bottle is a bank - and yes, she already has money in it)

Another big day!

2008-05-29T09:35:00.000-07:00

This is from Katie's first doctor's visit. Katie didn't have to get any shots on this visit, but she cried because the doctor cauterized her belly button (where the umbilical cord had fallen off). (A big thanks to Aunt Brenda, Patty, Judean, & Christina for the carseat!). :)

Katie's first visit to meet her Grandpa Don (Kevin's dad). She looks so little in his arms!
Kevin with her Uncle Daniel (he's holding her) and Uncle Jon. Uncle Daniel is a fantastic soccer player & basketball player (although Kevin says he SHOULD be playing football because he's good at that too). Between him & Kevin, Katie should have no trouble on the soccer field! Uncle Jon is a sweet guy. He can teach Katie to watch all the good kids videos. :)Grandma Cathy (Kevin's stepmom) and Uncle Jon with Katie and me.

Cathy & Don have been very good to us - Cathy is one of the most thoughtful people I know. She always remembers birthdays and special occasions (I hope Katie can be more like her than me in that sense). Don is super smart and I hope Katie got more of his mathematical abilities than mine!

Who let the blogs out?

2008-05-27T23:49:00.000-07:00

Ugh, who can believe it? Five days old and already a remote hog!

Katie & Daddy - it's nice to know SOME people in the house can get a tan.
Aunt Amy is so awesome to come over and help me out with stuff on the weekends. Katie loves her Aunt Amy and misses her when she's gone.
This just makes me laugh. It seems impossible that someone so tiny can yawn SO big!

Baby's first bath!

2008-05-22T22:43:00.000-07:00

To be honest, it's her SECOND bath since they gave her a bath at the hospital - but it's her first bath since being home with us. :) I am just going to admit it - I was too scared to give her a bath, so my mom did it. Poor baby SCREAMED the whole time - and yes, we got it on video to show at her 18th birthday. :)
Grandpa Roger & Katie. He actually did get to see her before she left the hospital, but she fussed at that time (because I took her out of the bili-blanket that she loved for him to hold her). You'll notice she's wearing a blue, puppy themed outfit. My mom & Aunt April make a point of NOT buying pink, girly stuff. We appreciate it AND the pink, girly stuff too. :)

Going home

2008-05-21T05:17:00.000-07:00

Finally on day 4, the pediatrician said Katie's jaundice had dropped enough that she could go home (thank goodness!). Kevin still wasn't feeling good, so he brought me breakfast and laid on the bed in my room until they said we could leave. It's too bad you can't really see Katie's face, because even though she's so young, you can see that she holds her mouth just like Kevin does when she's sleeping.

All dressed to go home! My mom got her ready in this cutie pink dress from Kevin's mom. The bonnet she's wearing in this pic is one my Grandma Thelma made. It's made from a handkerchief; the tradition is that the baby is supposed to wear it home from the hospital when they're born, then carry it in their wedding later. Katie didn't get to wear it home because it was SO windy that day. We were afraid her head would be cold.
Miss Katie - check out the socks (from my mom). They look like little ballet slippers. :)
So the hat doesn't match the dress (in style, I mean), but it's warm. Kevin, however, would tell you that Ohio State items match ANY outfit. :)
Finally home! I was trying to cut the bands off her wrist & ankle without cutting her, which was terrifying. I did manage to NOT cut her. lol

Katie - Day 3

2008-05-19T21:05:00.000-07:00

Even though the title of this post is "Day 3" it really is the events of day 2 going into day 3 at the hospital. We found out on day 2 that Katie had jaundice (although day 2 in the hospital for me was just past Katie's 24 hours of life outside the womb, lol). The pediatrician was concerned because her bilirubin level was really high for her being so young (she should have been in the 40th percentile at 24 hours old, but was in the 95th percentile. By the numbers, she should have been around a 4 at 24 hours old, but was an 11). They took her out of my room on the evening of day 2 and kept her under the ultraviolet lights until some time the next day, when they switched her to the bili-blanket where she stayed until the morning of day 4 when we were finally able to go home (I saw "we" because Miami Valley Hospital was pretty great to allow me to stay in a free room with her on the night of day 3, after I was discharged. Katie was in the free room with me; the nursing staff just came in periodically to check her and draw blood).

Katie - Day Two

2008-05-14T23:59:00.000-07:00

Katie's first professional picture - with a name like Katie Holmes, it's no wonder that she knows to smile when the cameras are around! lol

Amy has a very sweet friend named Katie (who was a HUGE influence in the naming of this Katie), that sent us the blanket in this picture. She had it and a Bible monogrammed with Katie's initials.
Me, feeling somewhat like normal, after I got a shower and put some makeup on! This was JUST before they found out Katie had a high level of jaundice, and shortly after took her away to lay under the ultraviolet lights (she LOVED the little "tanning bed").
Nana and Katie (Kevin's mom). She wasn't able to be with us the day before due to work. She and Kendra (Kevin's sister) have been so good to us, both before Katie's arrival and after. We are very thankful for such wonderful, supportive family!
Aunt Kendra and Cousin Haden with Katie. Kendra is one of the sweetest, kindest people you will ever meet. She is super creative and can do amazing things with a flower bed. I hope Katie inherited some of her creativity and green thumb! Haden is Katie's only cousin (so far!) - he just turned 3 (the same day Katie was due, April 21). He loves his cousin "Kitty" as he calls her.

The story...

2008-05-14T20:09:00.000-07:00

Since people have been asking to hear "the story" (i.e., the story of Katie's delivery & birth), I thought I'd post it here for all to read. If you don't want to know the gory details - stop reading now! lol

Kevin & I went to the baby doctor Monday, April 28. Since Katie was due April 21, the doctor had told us that if the baby wasn't here by the next Monday, she'd want to induce (and to be honest, I was pretty tired of being pregnant by then too). So April 28 at 1:30 p.m. the doctor told us to come back to the hospital that night at 9 p.m. to begin the process.

We got there around 9:15 p.m. and got checked in. My mom & sister went with us to the room where I'd deliver, so my mom would know where to go the next day. Kevin & I had already decided that Amy would stay with me that evening, so he could get a good night's sleep and be with me the next night, when the baby was here. Kevin & my mom stayed around long enough to watch the nurse hook up all the monitors and start my I.V. (which hurt like you wouldn't believe - and hey, I can take a needle!), then went on home. Around 10 p.m., the nurse came back to start me on the "gel" that would help soften & dilate the cervix. This wasn't TOO painful, other than the fact that the nurse "had a hard time finding the cervix." After that, I was free to try & get some sleep, but it was tough because any moving at all on my part would cause the fetal heart monitor to lose the baby's heartbeat. Poor Amy was probably MORE uncomfortable, trying to sleep on the chair-cot in the room.

Around 2 a.m., the nurse was back to insert more gel. Again, the gel caused less pain than she did inserting it! lol But that was NOTHING compared to the pain I felt when they started the Pitocin around 6:30 the morning of April 29. At first, it wasn't bad - but progressed VERY quickly to pretty intense contractions. I was still only dilated to a 2, which was too early for the epidural, so I asked the nurse about other pain management options. She said I could have Nubain any time I wanted. Kevin came in around 7:15 a.m. so he and Amy got to sit and watch me try to tough it out, which didn't last long. An hour later, I was done being tough, and asked for the pain meds. The Nubain affected me in a way I never dreamed it would. It was like I could feel it flow through my veins, making me weak and unable to hold my eyes open, so I slept - OTHER than when the contractions hit, because I could still feel every bit of that pain. Amy & Kevin were laughing at me because it was like I'd be dead asleep, wake up in intense pain, and fall dead asleep as soon as the contraction was over. I think this went on for about 2 hours (although you'd have to ask Amy, Kevin, or my mom to be sure) when they decided to give me the epidural, because I was finally dilated to a 4. The epidural was like heaven, because then not only was I sleeping, but I was totally pain free. After that, I didn't really wake up until around 1:30 or 2:00 p.m., and was dilated to 8. While I was sleeping, they catheterized me (twice), broke my water, worked on getting the baby to turn, etc. (I should have mentioned - we knew the baby was head down, but face up. They wanted her to be face down before delivery could happen, otherwise my OB wanted to do a c-section). The funny thing was, I woke up to Kevin's snoring, since he was catching a nap on the chair-cot. lol But I had slept SO deeply, I was CONVINCED it was Wednesday.

The next hour wasn't bad - I still wasn't fully dilated, which was frustrating the two nurses in the room. Amy & Kevin left the hospital so Amy could go home & get a shower, and so Kevin could go to our house to let our dogs out. While they were gone, the nurses were having me push to get the baby down, and my mom was the only one in the room with me. We really didn't know what was going on then, so my mom called Kevin to come back quick, thinking he might be about to miss the delivery. When the nurses decided I wasn't dilated enough to deliver, they took a break. So I chatted with my mom, and she sneaked me some Cheez-It's, :) and I saw my grandma & aunt who had been sitting in the waiting area. Kevin & Amy got back, so my mom walked out with my grandma to visit with other family, which left only Kevin in the room with me when the one nurse decided she'd had enough, and it was time to have the baby...only she didn't tell me, so I just assumed they were trying to get the baby down like before, because I STILL wasn't dilated to a 10. It was around this time that I realized I was able to FEEL certain areas, because the nurse was doing UNSPEAKABLE things to me to allow the baby to come out (which probably saved me from having to have an episiotomy, but still). I couldn't feel the contractions, but I could feel what she was doing, and was able to feel my legs again. I was never scared to deliver the baby, until this moment...when I became fully aware that I was about to deliver the baby, and be able to feel it all. Suddenly, I'm a mess - saying over and over to Kevin "I can't do this...I can't do this!" And suddenly, he's super-husband, saying "yes you can, you'll be fine." The next thing I know, they're calling my OB to come down, and asking me if I want my mom in the room. We had already decided that my mom would be in there, thinking that Kevin might not make it through the gross parts of the delivery, but at that moment, I didn't care WHO was in there. lol Finally though, someone got a "yes" out of me - and my mom made it in the room JUST behind my OB, who was barely there in time to catch the baby. Suddenly, I'm a million tears, just because I was SO relived that the baby was delivered (and p.s. it didn't hurt NEARLY as bad as what that nurse had been doing to me earlier). All I heard was Kevin say "Ten fingers and ten toes!" then they put Katie on my chest. I couldn't see her face, but I could see her little feet that she was kicking in the air. When they carried her to the warming table to clean her up, my OB (and all the nurses in the room) said "look at those cheeks!" lol Only 40 minutes of pushing, and Katie made it into the world at 4:03 p.m.

What I didn't realize until much later that evening, when it was just Katie & me in the hospital - she was totally worth it.

The post you've all been waiting for...

2008-05-14T00:22:00.000-07:00

Miss Katie Lauren Holmes joined the family on April 29, 2008 at 4:03 p.m. She weighed 8 lbs, 1 oz., and has blonde hair & blue eyes. We are thrilled she is here! The Lord has truly blessed us with a sweet baby girl! Thank you to everyone for their prayers and well-wishes.

The all new Holmes family

Katie & Daddy (poor guy was sick the day of delivery, and went home to bed after Katie's arrival. He ended up at the doctor's office the next day, and couldn't see Katie without wearing a mask. I felt so sad for him, because those first couple of days were really special).
Grandma Starr - can you tell she's thrilled that Katie finally made her appearance?! (Grandpa Roger was also sick this day. He was at the hospital, but stayed in the waiting area so he wouldn't chance giving Katie what he had).
Proud Aunt Amy - she stayed with me at the hospital the whole night before they induced, only running home to get a shower before Katie arrived. I was so thankful to have her there.

She's an awesome sister - Katie is a lucky girl to have such a wonderful aunt!
Katie & Uncle Drew - Drewbug left work early to get to see Katie.

Let's just hope she doesn't learn to speed like him when it's time for her to drive!

Katie & my Grandma Sowders
Katie & my cousin Ashley

(doesn't Katie look HUGE with Ashley holding her???)
Katie & my aunt April (my mom's sister)
Crib card

Ohio State Football!

2008-05-14T00:01:00.001-07:00

We LOVE Ohio State football, and try to get to a game every year (but it's TOUGH to get tickets). This is from the Ohio State/Illinois game 2005 - Ohio State won. :)

Yes, we made the trip to the dreaded rival, Michigan. It turns out they have a nice stadium - but maybe we only thought that because Ohio State beat them that day. :)
We go to a lot of football signings - this is Kevin with Ohio State center, Nick Mangold. He now plays for the Jets.
I always said that if I got to meet this guy, I'd do this pose (I just never assumed I'd be 9 months pregnant when it happened!). He's Ohio State defensive end Vernon Gholston. He was just selected by the NY Jets as the #6 player in the NFL draft. And his arms are massive. Just a pic of the jersey my mom & dad framed for us. It's signed by Santonio Holmes, former Ohio State wide receiver who now plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Our girls

2008-05-13T23:31:00.001-07:00

Here are some pics of our girls. This is our first dog, Buckeye. She's a collie we got from a rescue shelter in West Virginia.

Me with Buckeye - and no, we are NOT wearing matching bows (it just looks like it!). lol
This is our girl Scarlett. She's a sheltie that we got from a rescue shelter in Michigan.
Buckeye & Scarlett the day of Scarlett's spay surgery. We thought we'd really have to watch Buckeye, thinking she'd be too rough with Scarlett after her surgery, but it was like Buckeye knew she didn't feel good so she took a nap with her.
Both girls playing the back yard.
I love these pics of our girls in the snow from the "near-blizzard" March 2008. While we were happy to have this be the last snow of the season, the dogs were sad because they LOVED playing in it!
Don't mock me for this pic - I was eight months pregnant, with nearly no makeup on, and had just finished shoveling off the deck.

The Honeymoon

2008-03-29T01:01:00.001-07:00

Fort Lauderdale, FloridaWe drove to Miami to check out the Seaquarium.
Kevin wrangled this alligator at the Seaquarium.
After leaving Miami, we ended up in the Hollywood, Florida ER. Kevin was covered in some weird rash (which lasted the whole honeymoon!).
The next day, right before leaving on our cruise. This was the first time Kevin had been in the ocean. Some nice lady offered to take the pic for us.

Key West, Florida

At a pirate museum in Key West. The guy taking the pic told us he left a job in California making $100,000 + a year to be a pirate actor. I should have hit HIM with the hammer!

At the top of the pirate lookout. Kevin is smiling, but he just wants to get down (turns out SOME of us don't like heights!).

Our cruise ship - the Enchantment of the Seas (a Royal Caribbean ship)

Formal night on the ship.

First stop in Cozymel, Mexico (if you look to the left, you can see the scooter we rode that Kevin wrecked into a tree while trying to get it back on the road after this stop. Some British guy ran over to make sure Kevin was ok and told Kevin he thought he was trying to be James Bond. lol!).

This was after snorkeling off Cozymel. I had my hat on right, but the wind literally blew it off. If you think I look terrible with a backwards hat, you should see me with wet, saltwater hair.

Us with our tour driver in Belize (that's his car behind us). Do not adjust your screen - my legs really ARE that white! lol

The last night of the cruise - us with our servers and the two ladies that sat at the table next to us (and no, they aren't just "best friends on a cruise together" if you know what I mean). The one in red is a nurse, and the other - yes folks, she's a Florida Highway Patrol Officer). They were really nice though, as were the two servers.

This is from the Washington D.C. airport, on our way home. Notice Kevin's somewhat annoyed face at yet ANOTHER picture, when he thought they were all over. Notice me wearing my favorite shirt of all time - Hot Dog Pete's (got it in Jersey when visiting my college roommate Lauren). :)

Our wedding

2008-03-26T12:01:00.001-07:00

The whole wedding party

(Left to right: Jordan, Courtney, my cousin Ashley, Audrey, my sister-in-law Kendra, my sister Amy, me, Kevin, Kevin's brother-in-law Kevin, my brother Drew, Charlie, Kevin's brother Daniel, and John Tyler)

Kevin's mom, sister & brother-in-law
Kevin's dad, stepmom, & his two brothers
Beth's parents & siblings
Kevin & his nephew Haden

(commonly referred to as "the Hadenator")

My Uncle Lamon officiated the ceremony

The Vows

Amy & Drew sang "The Prayer" just like Josh Groban & Charlotte Church

The Sowders/Jones family The Hubbs family

The Holmes family

My cousin Christina & her daughter Cora Mae

Kevin & Beth...

2008-03-24T20:56:00.000-07:00

This pic is from the night we got engaged. Doesn't my dad look thrilled! :)

This is from my Grandma's backyard. Kevin & Amy were throwing those apples before this pic was taken (but don't tell my Grandpa!)

I thought it would be appropriate to start this blog with pics of Kevin & me before we were married so I can progress until now. Look how young we look! It's amazing what two and a half years of marriage, two dogs, and a mortgage will do to age a couple!